Vancouver SRO fire displaces several people
Posted September 8, 2023 11:25 am.
Last Updated September 8, 2023 2:51 pm.
A fire at a single-room-occupancy (SRO) building in downtown Vancouver has left five to eight units with damage, displacing a number of people.
Vancouver Fire Rescue Services Assistant Chief Keith Stewart tells CityNews crews responded to calls about alarms going off in the building in the area of Granville and Davie streets around 6:45 a.m. Friday.
“Upon arrival, crews realized there was an actual fire going on in one of the suites and there was somebody hanging out of a window to a balcony … So our crews immediately upgraded the alarm to a first-alarm or working fire and performed an immediate rescue where they brought one occupant down to safety on the ground,” he explained.
Sprinklers were activated in the suite, Stewart adds, noting fire damage was contained to the one unit. Given the sprinklers, the damage “wasn’t super extensive,” he explains.
Other surrounding suites sustained water damage, with people living in those units relocated for now.
An initial investigation has determined the fire was caused by a butane torch on a mattress, Stewart says. He adds the fire does not appear to have been intentionally set.
“The person was using their butane torch and it caught the mattress on fire, which created a bigger fire, and it was a room fire,” he said.
“The person inside was not injured and we don’t have any firefighter injuries.”
Stewart says about 27 firefighters responded to the call — which he notes is standard for high-occupancy and SRO buildings.
Crews cleared out just after 8 a.m.
